In March, we had reported that the Cellular Operators Association in India will host a mobile congress in India for the first time. This news seems to have been confirmed by IANS and it will be independent of any other similar show across the globe. Catering to South-East Asian countries and the Indian subcontinent, the […]

Catering to South-East Asian countries and the Indian subcontinent, the COAI is partnering with the Department of Telecommunications and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to host a three-day long show in New Delhi.

“We felt we needed a flagship event in India. In the West we have the Barcelona event (MWC), in the East, there is the Shanghai Mobile World Congress — but there was nothing of that scale for South-East Asia. This event will serve that purpose,” Rajan S. Mathews, Director General, COAI, told IANS.

To be held from 27th September to 29th September 2017, this mobile congress is expected to see participation from 8-10 countries. China has a similar Shanghai Mobile World Congress every year, that draws attention from around the globe for the massive scale it has.

“We are hoping that 8 to 10 major countries will participate in the event. This will become a flagship event for India. It will be an annual event,” P. Ramakrishna, CEO of the event said. India also hosts a biennial event ‘Auto Expo’ for automobiles that attract a lot of countries as well.

The event will be held at Pragati Maidan with a budget of Rs. 15 crores. Israel, UK and Sweden have already confirmed their presence, and US and Canada are still in the talks. It will be also great to see the Korean and Chinese company adding to the glamour.

Format of the Indian Mobile Congress

Just like the MWC held in Barcelona every year, this show will also have a similar format. The first two days will be for the media, celebrities and other important personalities. Of course, you will still be able to enter if you’re able to get your hands on the passes.

The third day will offer free entry to the public, to see and use the gadgets on the display. This will also prove to be a great platform for the launch of smartphones and other electronic devices in India.

Indian Mobile Congress will also be opened to startups that are working on Artificial Intelligence or a similar kind of technology. They can showcase their products at the stalls like in a business to government and business to consumer model.

Now, for someone who has been to Pragati Maidan for shows, I can tell you that the footfall at this show will be massive, and there won’t be much space to walk around easily. You will have to struggle to get to see and use the device you have been waiting for unless COAI plans it really well.

It is exciting to know that Indian Government is planning to host an event like this in India, which will not only increase the business here and also project India to a new level.

In the simplest form, Digital Marketing means connecting a digital user with a brand, in order to persuade him or her to purchase their product/service or idea. Performance based marketing is one such form of Digital marketing, wherein the concerned brand (or advertiser) pays for every action: it can be a lead conversion, a sale […]

In the simplest form, Digital Marketing means connecting a digital user with a brand, in order to persuade him or her to purchase their product/service or idea. Performance based marketing is one such form of Digital marketing, wherein the concerned brand (or advertiser) pays for every action: it can be a lead conversion, a sale or simply filling out a form. The publisher gets paid only when the action is performed.

Performance based marketing, also called as Affiliate Marketing, is not entirely new in India, but its relatively niche, compared to Paid Ads or SEO. While very few brands are actually aware that such form of digital marketing exists; several of them are apprehensive and full of doubts on the genuineness of such tactics.

Affiliate Marketing in India

As per rough industry estimates, almost 20% of the overall ecommerce market belongs to affiliate marketers in India. If we go by industry estimations of Rs 1 lakh crore market of ecommerce, then it translates to Rs 20,000 crore market for affiliate marketing.

Although very less brands have affiliate offers on board, most of the big ecommerce brands are running affiliate marketing, alongside paid and other traditional forms of digital marketing.

Even IRCTC has now jumped into affiliate marketing, as it surely do provide a fast growth rate and assured action based marketing.

India’s First Affiliate Marketing Summit

But the best way to learn and to understand this whole system of affiliates and digital marketing is to meet those who have made it big in this niche. Understanding this requirement, Internet & Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) is conducting India’s first Affiliate Marketing Summit in New Delhi, between October 8th and 9th.

This summit will be attended by entrepreneurs, marketing mavericks and bloggers who are specializing in performance based marketing, the ones who know the industry, and knowledgeable to give the right projection of its growth.

Representatives from some of the biggest brands in the digital space will themselves explain the phenomenon which is gripping the industry. The organizers have planned several workshops, exhibitions and networking events to make this summit as happening as possible.

Who Should Attend?

Both the brands and the publishers would find this summit useful and full of knowledge, simply because there has been no such affiliate summits before.

The brands and advertisers can know about the ROI potential, the risks involved and the scope of this type of marketing in the longer run; meanwhile the publishers can understand the monetization model used by successful affiliates, how SEO, paid ads and email marketing can be integrated into affiliate offers, and the best practices of the industry.

With the launch of this summit, one thing is pretty clear: Performance based marketing has now gone mainstream in India; and it’s just the beginning.

Disclaimer: Trak.in is an official online media partner for the event. If you happen to attend this event, then don’t forget to drop in and say hello!

Paytm, India’s leading digital wallet, who were in news recently for reportedly on verge of raising over half a billion dollars has been adjudged being the Digital Wallet of the year 2014 by Internet And Mobile Association of India (IAMAI). India’s evergreen super star, Amitabh Bachchan was adjudged the Social Media Person of the year. […]

Paytm, India’s leading digital wallet, who were in news recently for reportedly on verge of raising over half a billion dollars has been adjudged being the Digital Wallet of the year 2014 by Internet And Mobile Association of India (IAMAI).

India’s evergreen super star, Amitabh Bachchan was adjudged the Social Media Person of the year. Amitabh Bachchan is undoubtedly one of the most prolific celebrity Social Media user in India – he has whopping 12.7 million followers on Twitter and close to 19 million likes on Facebook page. Even when it comes to updates, Amitabh Bachchan is probably the most prolific updater. He has over 37,700 Twitter updates since he joined Twitter in May 2010.

Among other notable awards handed out yesterday were – NDTV.com for the News content website of the year, while Navbharattimes.com was adjudged the local language website of the year.

Zomato’s CEO and Founder Deepinder Goyal was adjudged the Digital person of the year, while Interactive Avenues ran away with Digital Agency of the year award.

Code for India is an initiative to bring along developers across the globe to code for the social challenges faced by India. A recent notable app that was made possible by this initiative was “I Vote for A Better India”. The app had such widespread impact on youth that even the election commission had to […]

Code for India is an initiative to bring along developers across the globe to code for the social challenges faced by India. A recent notable app that was made possible by this initiative was “I Vote for A Better India”.

The app had such widespread impact on youth that even the election commission had to agree to use it. The other projects by Code for India are Spotter, Saferoute, Indian Music Archive, Ubuntu at Work etc.

Code for India has partnered with Morpheus, Akshay Patra, Haiyya, Pratham, Swaniti, Ubuntu at Work, Archive of Indian Music, Parishudh, Center of South Asia at Stanford, Overseas Volunteer for a Better India, The World Bank and The Indus Entrepreneurs chapters in Silicon Valley, Mumbai and New Delhi..

Code for India is organizing their second hackathon this year on simultaneously held in the US and India. The event is scheduled to start on May 10th , 2014 at Google Campus (Bangalore) and May 9, 2014 at Google Campus in Mountain View, California.

Karl Mehta, the Silicon Valley millionaire is the man on a mission to change India’s socio-political issues with technology. Founder of PlaySpin(sold to Visa in 2011 for $240 million) and currently a venture capitalist for Menlo Ventures, Mehta didn’t want to form another NGO in a quest to help India, instead, he helped build a platform to help developers from around the world to aid in the efforts of other NGOs by coding for them.

World’s 2nd biggest and Asia’s biggest motor show: Auto Expo will be held in New Delhi during the month of February, 2014. This is most probably the most prestigious motor exhibition inside India, and there is tremendous excitement around this event. It is organized every two years, and in the last expo in 2012, approximately […]

This is most probably the most prestigious motor exhibition inside India, and there is tremendous excitement around this event. It is organized every two years, and in the last expo in 2012, approximately 90 lakh people visited the stalls wherein 1500 participants from 23 countries participated. 50 new cars were launched and Ferrari and Peugeot showcased their lineup for the first time in India. Out of 50, 10 were global launches.

Below are the cars to watch out for during this year’s auto-expo:

– Audi A3

Audi A1 is the premium hatch which is sold globally; but for Indian and Asia-Pacific region, Audi will unleash A3 series which can be classified as compact premium sedan. It will give enough competition to Benz A class and BMW 1-series.

– Mercedes-Benz CLA

After unveiling A class and B class series, the German car-maker Mercedes-Benz is all set to introduce CLA series in India. This compact sedan’s design and functionality is closely based on Concept Style Coupe which Benz introduced last year.

– BMW 3 Series GT

BMW has changed its business model recently, as it is establishing local manufacturing facilities to keep the prices down. The all new BMW 3 Series GT will be the 7th such product launched from their Chennai manufacturing unit. Expected Price: Rs 20,00,000 (approximately)

-Jaguar F Type Coupe

This beast from Jaguar has been described as most dynamically capable, performance based sports car the company has ever manufactured. F-Type Coupe was launched at the LA Motor Show.

-2014 Range Rover Evoque

Land Rover will showcase its new 2014 Range Rover Evoque which will be equipped with a new range of comfort, power and safety add-ons.

Expected Price: Rs 51,00,000

– Honda Mobilio & Honda Jazz

Honda will reveal two of its most anticipated futuristic car: MPV Mobilio and premkium hatchback Jazz series, which would be offered in both petrol and diesel versions. Jazz is expected to fit in somewhere between Amaze and Brio and is expected to give tough fight to Volkswagen Polo and Maruti Swift.

– Jeep Wrangler & Cherokee

Fiat is all set to revamp its Jeep brand with the introduction of two new models: Wrangler & Cherokee. Both of them have been sighted in Pune while test-runs and the performance of both of these cars are simply awesome.

Google+ Hangouts has been used by many celebrities, Politicians and noted personalities to interact with common citizens. From US President Barack Obama to Shri Shri Ravishankarji, all of them have at one or other time used Google+ Hangouts. Now, we will have India’s Union Finance Minister Mr. P Chidambaram who will be taking questions straight […]

Google+ Hangouts has been used by many celebrities, Politicians and noted personalities to interact with common citizens. From US President Barack Obama to Shri Shri Ravishankarji, all of them have at one or other time used Google+ Hangouts.

Now, we will have India’s Union Finance Minister Mr. P Chidambaram who will be taking questions straight from Indian citizens using hangout on Union Budget. He will respond to citizens’ questions, and discuss the state of the Indian economy with a panel of industry leaders as well as citizens.

As Google+ hangouts has limit of 10 people at a time, all of them may not be able to participate, but everyone can watch the live hangout, when it is happening on Youtube.

If you want India’s FM to answer your question, go to your Google+ account and ask your question by using #asktheFM hashtag.

In addition to asking the question on Google+ using #askthefm hashtag, users can also submit their question in the form of a video by going to In conversation Youtube Channel.

]]>https://trak.in/tags/business/2013/02/27/p-chidambaram-google-hangout-budget-questions-askthefm/feed/318388CES 2013 – What it means to our side of the world?https://trak.in/tags/business/2013/01/10/ces-2013-what-it-means-to-our-side-of-the-world/
https://trak.in/tags/business/2013/01/10/ces-2013-what-it-means-to-our-side-of-the-world/#respondThu, 10 Jan 2013 12:36:28 +0000http://trak.in/?p=17761

International Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in currently going on in Las Vegas. It is one THE biggest platform for Electronic companies to show off what they have to offer. The show itself is going great with new and unique products being highlighted. In fact, even the latest products that were showcased prior to CES were […]

International Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in currently going on in Las Vegas. It is one THE biggest platform for Electronic companies to show off what they have to offer. The show itself is going great with new and unique products being highlighted. In fact, even the latest products that were showcased prior to CES were noteworthy (including Ubuntu for Mobile). Barring a few companies like Apple, Microsoft and Google most companies participate and come with the best they have.

The only problem that I see with CES is that it is not what people will get but what the companies have to offer. Now this may seem like one and the same thing but they are not. Companies are always researching and innovating and thus every month they will have a better product than the last. This is bound to happen and is the basis on which we are getting such good products in a small span of 3-4 years.

The problem is that once you are showcased something you want it. Unfortunately though, the products shown in CES belong to two categories.

The prototypes.

The finished products.

Now, it is OK for the prototype to be unfinished. In fact, it is not even expected to be launched in the same year (it mostly is not). The finished products though are a different deal. You expect them to launch soon. The problem is that companies take CES as a platform to show the new products but rarely launch them along with.

There are of course exceptions but mostly the launch, even if it occurs, is delayed at best and thus loses much of its charm. For example, when Apple launches a product, a date is defined and on date the product is available. Barring any logistical error, this will happen without fail. CES rarely has a bound timeline.

The promises by companies showcasing at CES are more on the lines – soon, in next quarter or worst, this year. These are hollow and do no good for the product itself.

All this for the US market! Add to that the time difference some of the products take to reach Indian shore after getting launched in US and somehow CES becomes just a show to enjoy and forget rather than being what it actually is – A pedestal for companies to be their best.

Maybe this is because companies like to have their own shows to launch their products or maybe they do believe that CES is just to show off what they can do in the future, but in my opinion for the products that are going to be launched this does more harm than good.

For technology that is going to come in the future, it is a great show!

[Disclaimer: Goodbuzz.org is an advertiser with trak.in] Goodbuzz is a place for advertisers to buy media from people (individuals), but the way it does is quite unique. It uses the traditional tipping model (yeah, those tips that we pay at restaurants) to spread awareness of what ever an advertiser wants to advertise! Details on how […]

Goodbuzz is a place for advertisers to buy media from people (individuals), but the way it does is quite unique. It uses the traditional tipping model (yeah, those tips that we pay at restaurants) to spread awareness of what ever an advertiser wants to advertise!

Details on how Goodbuzz work?

Advertisers post their advertisement and deposit a tip for people who happen to like what they are doing to spread their message to friends and followers (on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or by email).

The tip is an amount of money for the people who spread the advertisers’ campaign. At the end of the campaign, the tip is split between these people relatively to the leads they’ve generated.

Check out the video given below that will give you an exact idea!

Steps on promoting events / Products on Goodbuzz

It’s easier to understand Goodbuzz with the following step by step explanation:

You need help to promote an event or a new product, you go to Goodbuzz to create an advertisement for it.

Then, you deposit a tip, like in a restaurant or a bar, for people who happen to like what you are doing, and will share your advertisement with their friends and contacts on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin or by email. Let say you deposit $100 tip for your supporters.

Your advertisement will be then displayed on GoodBuzz

People will visit your advertisement page on GoodBuzz and start sharing it with their friends and contacts. You could check in real time how many people are sharing your promotion

At the end of the campaign (maximum 1 month), the tip you left ($100) is distributed to all the people who spread your message. The Goodbuzz software tracks and calculates everything automatically!

In the end, you are happy because you have reached more people and it is less stress to promote your events and products in the future.

Why Goodbuzz works?

Nowadays 75% of people discover new things because another person has shared them with them. And that’s precisely how Goodbuzz spreads your message / ad – It’s a smart way to spread message with a minimum budget.

And, people are rewarded for the time they spent finding and sharing what they like. It’s an easy way to earn extra money just by sharing on your network

What Goodbuzz could be used for?

Goodbuzz can be used to promote many different things – Publishers can promote their “just released” book or any new launches for that matter. It can be used for event promotion, individual professional promotion etc.

It is a good alternate platform for promotion, when traditional methods may not have worked well!

Give Goodbuzz a try and let us know what you feel about this platform!

Satyam Computer Services has probably been the buzzword of the year gone by, albeit for unfortunate reasons. Satyam was one of the top most IT services company and shouldered the industry veterans like Infosys and Wipro. Who would have known what was cooking behind the glamorous walls and the highly profitable balance sheets. Evidently Satyam […]

Satyam Computer Services has probably been the buzzword of the year gone by, albeit for unfortunate reasons. Satyam was one of the top most IT services company and shouldered the industry veterans like Infosys and Wipro. Who would have known what was cooking behind the glamorous walls and the highly profitable balance sheets.

Evidently Satyam was to become a part of one of the biggest Corporate Frauds in India.The man in charge, Mr.Ramalinga Raju evidently was cooking the books beyond recovery. We have had so much coverage here on the Satyam fiasco that there is no point going over it again. It all started with the Satyam-Matyas fiasco and then things got really ugly when Mr.Ramalinga Raju confessed his crime in open.

It opened the flood gates for the company and the in direct consequences had the Government stepping in. Eventually, Tech Mahindra ended up buying Satyam Computer Services and rechristened it to Mahindra Satyam.

There were speculations that Tech Mahindra might have made a mistake given that the clear financial details were very much under the wraps even then. Moreover, Satyam was no small fish, and Tech Mahindra would have had to really pull the plugs to make it work. The timing couldn’t have been worse as the global markets plummeted and IT budgets just vanished out of the blue.

However, cutting the long story short, Tech Mahindra has done a brilliant job of bringing the almost doomed company back on its feet.

The turnaround is even more spectacular given the industry Satyam operated in. IT services is a data sensitive industry, where confidentially and trust form the backbone of its sustainability. With the image that Satyam got itself, there were serious doubts that it will be possible to even restore the existing clients leave aside acquiring new ones.

But, Mahindra Satyam has risen from the ashes. Aided by an improving economy and some real brand building , Mahindra Satyam is finally getting into shape. The evidence stems from the fact that Mahindra Satyam is back in hiring mode.

It has called back 2000 of its employeeswhich were relegated to the virtual pool.

Mahindra Satyam is clearly expecting increasing workload on account of acquiring new clients. More so, it is honouring the commitment made to its employees and looking to utilize the existing employee base before looking outside for hiring.

The new management board has indeed assed and executed the damage control meticulously and it is now aiming for growth. Infact, Mr.Mukesh Ambani cited Satyam’s turnaround as a great example of improving Corporate governance in India , during the show ‘The Politics of Economics’.

It is only the beginning and probably a lot needs to be done but the revival has been speedy and efficient so to speak. With improving IT spend forecasts, Mahindra Satyam would be gunning to regain its lost glory.

I remember there were news doing the rounds that Satyam Corporate Governance fiasco became a case study at one of the premier MBA schools.Wonder if Mahindra Satyam turnaround accounts for another case study on How To Revive A Maligned Brand

Who do you think should be credited for the quick turnaround of Satyam ?

An improving marketplace? – the strong technical fundamentals of the company? or the new management who steered the company? My vote goes for the management because it can be seriously daunting to chart growth plans and work towards improving the image of a company at the same time.

Remember the extravaganza called Beijing Olympics? It was one of the most expensive & expansive Olympics ever to be held. People were in awe of what China had done with the Infrastructure & facilities for the pinnacle of sporting tournament. For China, it was a big in-direct step for changing the its global image from […]

Remember the extravaganza called Beijing Olympics? It was one of the most expensive & expansive Olympics ever to be held. People were in awe of what China had done with the Infrastructure & facilities for the pinnacle of sporting tournament.

For China, it was a big in-direct step for changing the its global image from a poor country to a more modern upcoming super-power nation.

On the other hand, India seems to be doing exactly the opposite – Although, I cannot say this until the Commonwealth Games supposed to be held next year in Delhi are over. But the way things are going currently, India may have to hide their faces, if something is not done on war footing.

The Commonwealth games will be held next year in October, but as per the deadlines, all the preparations have to be completed by March 2010, and it seems thats deadline may not be met.

Although the IOC head Mr. Suresh Kalmadi keeps iterating that the they are on schedule, everyone else on ground seem to think otherwise. Infact, as of now, none of the venues are even near completion.

Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) says 13 of 19 venues are between 30% and 50% behind schedule

And it is just not for the venues, the accommodation arrangements for the athletes also is a big issue. Only 3,952 of the ‘confirmed’ 9,500 rooms – a mere 41% – are currently ready. That’s not all. Of the 2,194 ‘likely’ rooms expected to come up in time for the October 2010 event, only 50% will be ready, according to the ministry’s review.

Rajesh Kalra on his Blog gives even more bleak picture:

This city, which is to host the games in October next year, is a complete mess. Almost every major road is dug up or blocked, either for Metro or flyover construction, and others that are not affected by games-related construction can thank substandard material used in road building for giving the entire city a uniform experience. Even calling it a disgrace is an understatement.

And this is just the roads and other networks that are basically required to get to the venues where the events would take place, but what about the venues themselves? By all available reports (CGF says 13 of 19 venues are between 30% and 50% behind schedule), they are so far behind schedule that some of them may be a disaster in the making if rushed through.

He goes ahead and even suggests this extreme step:

I would be happy if the Prime Minister, without wasting any more time, comes out with a statement that goes thus: “Given the current economic situation, the country would be better off without the games and the money that was being spent on building these white elephants would be utilised to build homes for the poor, and the beggars we wanted out so that they don’t prove to be an eyesore for the visitors”.

Would love to hear what readers have to say? Is it better to shelve the Commonwealth Games plan instead of ruining India’s Image – or should we go all out and do whatever it takes to ensure that Games are held with some amount of respectability?

Alternative energy is any energy that does not depend on oil of middle east. That seems to be the apt description. It could be Solar, Wind, Nuclear, Bio-Fuel and everything else in your imagination except oil In his book “Hot, Flat and Crowded” Thomas Friedman describes the alternative energy should be renewable. Which means it […]

Alternative energy is any energy that does not depend on oil of middle east. That seems to be the apt description. It could be Solar, Wind, Nuclear, Bio-Fuel and everything else in your imagination except oil

In his book “Hot, Flat and Crowded” Thomas Friedman describes the alternative energy should be renewable. Which means it should be abundantly available and clean. There are only few energy sources which fulfill that criteria. Solar and Wind are the obvious choices. And these are expensive to generate.

Though solar energy is abundant it is not very easy to generate. A land of 10,000 acres is needed for generating 1,000 MW of power. Huge chunks of land is required to generate power. Where do we have that kind of land? Well, we can ask Ramalinga Raju but he is in jail now. Same is the case with Wind Energy – huge area, huge investments.

When oil per barrel was at $147, the talk for alternative energy has heated up. Since then the oil saw its inevitable downfall and so did the enthusiasm of the alternative energy advocates. Oil per barrel is at $40, and the alternative and biotech stocks has lost a lot since their peaks.

OPEC wants the oil to be somewhere at $90 per barrel. That is because they don’t have any other source of income other than oil. They need that price to remain profitable. Alternative energy industry also wants oil at $90 per barrel. They don’t say it but they know it in their hearts.

While there are efforts to go green in bits and pieces sprinkled across like Jay Leno’s wind turbine or Intel’s data center which is powered by solar energy. The real push for alternative energy can come only when the oil barrel value is at $100. Only then the world would innovate to move away from oil into the alternative energy segment.

The biggest push has to come from America which incidentally is the biggest consumer of world’s oil. The latest stimulus bill has $150 bn investment going into the renewable energy market. This to me is the big chunk of investment which can alter the course. Unless the spending comes from governments across, it would be impossible to get away from the oil addiction and secure our future.

Coming to India’s situation the alternative energy boom is still to catch up. Reliance Industries has seen its profits dropping which is a good indication that it should look at other alternatives like alternative energy. There are investments in photovoltaic’s from companies like Moser Baer, Reliance IndustriesÂ and Tata BP Solar. There are also smaller companies like Daily Dump which generate energy out of kitchen waste. Suzlon Energy is provides equipment to generate wind energy.

These investments and initiatives will take a back seat when the oil rate falls. To compound these worries is our perennial subsidies of petrol, diesel, LPG and Kerosene. We all know how those works. With the impending general elections there is one more price cut coming. That to me is a start of yet another vicious cycle.

Why do we need alternative energy? Because we are running out of oil and burning fossil fuels generates a lot of CO2 which can eventually kill the planet.

Why aren’t we acting fast? Because the cheap oil is still available and there is no economic incentive to go and pursue other fuels.